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On-Topic:
I felt actually little scary from reading the Editor-In-Chief surely look when informed that Niizuma and the others were boycotting and not letting the manuscripts for serializations due to Ashirogi Muto's unfair hiatus.

I may be one of those who were actually supportive of the Editor-In-Chief's decision to put them on hiatus, until Mashiro could get discharged from the hospital, at the least.
The Editor-In-Chief still takes it hard Kawaguchi Taro's death, and it was understandable the choice he made to ensure not letting history to repeat itself with Mashiro as well.

However, the beauty of triumphs relies in the simple path that people who attempted to become the best at something were not able to make breakthroughs, but until realizing their own limitations and still pushing forward in direct violations of whatever rules their relatives, society, or even their homeland governments imposed on them.
And, yet many of this people throughout in whatever industry, social context, or historical event, achieved those ambitions.

Takagi and Mashiro are just two other fishes exploring the true and vast sea of the manga professional industry, and this one was a needed downer for them in order to make a glorious comeback. However, the question is if it would not have become an issue for their manga serialization after all the time Mashiro spent in the hospital while the publishing for TRAP was put on hiatus?

Poor guys. Miura's feeling the pressure, and taking it out on them by forcing them to go with a project they don't like and don't believe in.

Not sure going behind his back was the best way to go about it, though. Even if they disagree with Miura's assessment on manga (which isn't guaranteed), the other editors are more or less obligated to support him. (Plus, they're only making more work for themselves.)

I guess they should have just stuck to their guns and flat out refused to make a gag manga.

Definitely a rough episode for everyone. The battle against Miura was pretty rough all around. I can understand their feelings though. Truly believe in their serious manga and even their rival who is successful believes that. Miura might be right, but it doesn't seem like it. Using a couple results that could have just been because fans realized their author was going down, as a reason to go this route doesn't sit well. Feels like Miura is pushing his own interests onto Mashiro and Takagi instead of trying to make a manga that builds to their strengths. Avoiding conflict (not going head to head) instead of surpassing their competition.

Miura is definitely under a lot of pressure. He has these authors that are seen as gold and if they don't succeed it will be viewed as his failure. Still feels more and more like Miura replacing Hattori was a complete miss.

Some light-hearted moments to change the mood like Takagi and Miyoshi. Those two are good for cheering things up.

Definitely a rough episode for everyone. The battle against Miura was pretty rough all around. I can understand their feelings though. Truly believe in their serious manga and even their rival who is successful believes that. Miura might be right, but it doesn't seem like it. Using a couple results that could have just been because fans realized their author was going down, as a reason to go this route doesn't sit well. Feels like Miura is pushing his own interests onto Mashiro and Takagi instead of trying to make a manga that builds to their strengths. Avoiding conflict (not going head to head) instead of surpassing their competition.

Spoiler for 10:

I think even if Miura's right that a gag manga will do well, even if he's right that Ashirogi Muto can get a serialization with one, he's wrong to think forcing them to can possibly end well. They're not like Hiramaru who has to be coerced and/or tricked to draw at all. They're already hardworking. But going against the grain like that just risks burning them out and getting sub-par work as a result. And then where will they be?

Also, having them trust his eye because he's an editor is just pathetic. They trust him or they don't. An argument of authority isn't going to change that.

I think even if Miura's right that a gag manga will do well, even if he's right that Ashirogi Muto can get a serialization with one, he's wrong to think forcing them to can possibly end well. They're not like Hiramaru who has to be coerced and/or tricked to draw at all. They're already hardworking. But going against the grain like that just risks burning them out and getting sub-par work as a result. And then where will they be?

Also, having them trust his eye because he's an editor is just pathetic. They trust him or they don't. An argument of authority isn't going to change that.

Spoiler for Ep10:

Not saying your wrong.

Though if Miura was at least right he'd have a leg to stand on. Instead he's trying to force his incorrect beliefs onto these guys. Encouraging them or suggesting they try out a gag series is fine. But Miura went way over that line. Forcing them down a path they don't want to go will definitely hurt them since they have to struggle all the more to succeed. Not to mention you'll get this anger and frustration between editor and author.

Unfortunately being a rookie Miura is falling back on his position and authority to try and force his way. The problem is when you compare the value to Jack between him and those guys there isn't an argument. They may have a positional reason to defend Miura, but in the end they don't want to lose these two.

In the end it's just not a good match and Miura is trying to force things down a direction Takagi and Mashiro don't want to go. Only a matter of time until things collapse here.

Miura is doing what weak bosses do – trying to manage from the position he holds rather than from the force of his intelligence and integrity. That childish threat to quit editing was pathetic, a low point even for him. Frankly, I trust Mashiro’s judgment about manga more than Miura’s. Well, I trust most people’s judgment more – certainly Hattori, and Eiji, and probably every other editor on staff. Miura is truly pathetic – not only has his advice proved wrong at almost every turn, but he’s failed as an advocate of Ashirogi’s interests with the magazine and he’s failed even at being a responsible adult when the boys’ impetuousness got the better of them. He’s just as immature as they are, but they have an excuse – they’re boys. He’s supposed to be a man and a professional, but he’s so wracked with insecurity that he’s incapable of inspiring or reassuring and even of making his questionable priorities successful.

That’s why every scene with Hattori is heartbreaking, because it’s so clear that he has a better sense of what sort of writers the boys are and how to manage their energy and passion in a positive direction. Even his simple advice to them – “It’s OK to disagree with your editor” – was the most useful thing anyone at the magazine has told them this season. Frankly, I wish Takagi hadn’t even suggested the dual storyboard idea and simply backed Mashiro to the hilt when he was arguing for a serious manga. But Takagai is a peacemaker at heart, and not the bull-headed idealist that Mashiro is. That has it’s uses but I think it was misplaced here, and it’s ended up with what both he and Mashiro believe is the weaker serialization draft going up for submission.

What I wonder is why Ashirogi don’t consider one other option that’s surely open to them – take their work to another magazine. There are other shounen titles in Japan – Shounen Sunday is almost as popular as Jump – and I’m sure they’d be very interested in teenagers who’d already managed to get a manga into serialization. I’m not sure what their contractual status is, but it seems to me that Ashirogi Muto would be free to shop their work if they haven’t signed a new deal for serialization.

Miura is doing what weak bosses do – trying to manage from the position he holds rather than from the force of his intelligence and integrity. That childish threat to quit editing was pathetic, a low point even for him. Frankly, I trust Mashiro’s judgment about manga more than Miura’s. Well, I trust most people’s judgment more – certainly Hattori, and Eiji, and probably every other editor on staff. Miura is truly pathetic – not only has his advice proved wrong at almost every turn, but he’s failed as an advocate of Ashirogi’s interests with the magazine and he’s failed even at being a responsible adult when the boys’ impetuousness got the better of them. He’s just as immature as they are, but they have an excuse – they’re boys. He’s supposed to be a man and a professional, but he’s so wracked with insecurity that he’s incapable of inspiring or reassuring and even of making his questionable priorities successful.

That’s why every scene with Hattori is heartbreaking, because it’s so clear that he has a better sense of what sort of writers the boys are and how to manage their energy and passion in a positive direction. Even his simple advice to them – “It’s OK to disagree with your editor” – was the most useful thing anyone at the magazine has told them this season. Frankly, I wish Takagi hadn’t even suggested the dual storyboard idea and simply backed Mashiro to the hilt when he was arguing for a serious manga. But Takagai is a peacemaker at heart, and not the bull-headed idealist that Mashiro is. That has it’s uses but I think it was misplaced here, and it’s ended up with what both he and Mashiro believe is the weaker serialization draft going up for submission.

What I wonder is why Ashirogi don’t consider one other option that’s surely open to them – take their work to another magazine. There are other shounen titles in Japan – Shounen Sunday is almost as popular as Jump – and I’m sure they’d be very interested in teenagers who’d already managed to get a manga into serialization. I’m not sure what their contractual status is, but it seems to me that Ashirogi Muto would be free to shop their work if they haven’t signed a new deal for serialization.

Spoiler for Ep10:

It is too bad to watch Hattori's scenes since you just want him to go and be their editor again. Sure they didn't always agree, but he was able to line up better with them than Miura. He does also understand their strengths and the kind of potential that they have. Has to be hard that all he can do is watch from the sidelines while all this chaos is going on. More than once he's probably wanted to get involved, but can't because he's not their editor anymore.

In terms of why they are staying I think there are multiple reasons. Probably a desire to fight against Eiji head to head rather than a more uncertain level of being in a different magazine. Maybe because Mashiro's uncle was in Jump and they want to succeed in the same place. Could just be really attached to the idea of being in Jump and can't let it go. Also just possible they just haven't considered that option. Think a variety of reasons are keeping them there.

Miura is doing what weak bosses do – trying to manage from the position he holds rather than from the force of his intelligence and integrity. That childish threat to quit editing was pathetic, a low point even for him. Frankly, I trust Mashiro’s judgment about manga more than Miura’s. Well, I trust most people’s judgment more – certainly Hattori, and Eiji, and probably every other editor on staff. Miura is truly pathetic – not only has his advice proved wrong at almost every turn, but he’s failed as an advocate of Ashirogi’s interests with the magazine and he’s failed even at being a responsible adult when the boys’ impetuousness got the better of them. He’s just as immature as they are, but they have an excuse – they’re boys. He’s supposed to be a man and a professional, but he’s so wracked with insecurity that he’s incapable of inspiring or reassuring and even of making his questionable priorities successful.

Well, he's a newbie too. Trap was his first series. Just like you can't trust his eye just because he's an editor, you can't expect him to be as competent as a veteran when he just got his job.

Quote:

Spoiler for 10:

That’s why every scene with Hattori is heartbreaking, because it’s so clear that he has a better sense of what sort of writers the boys are and how to manage their energy and passion in a positive direction. Even his simple advice to them – “It’s OK to disagree with your editor” – was the most useful thing anyone at the magazine has told them this season. Frankly, I wish Takagi hadn’t even suggested the dual storyboard idea and simply backed Mashiro to the hilt when he was arguing for a serious manga. But Takagai is a peacemaker at heart, and not the bull-headed idealist that Mashiro is. That has it’s uses but I think it was misplaced here, and it’s ended up with what both he and Mashiro believe is the weaker serialization draft going up for submission.

Yeah. A head-on confrontation would have been a lot less damaging all around.

Quote:

Spoiler for 10:

What I wonder is why Ashirogi don’t consider one other option that’s surely open to them – take their work to another magazine. There are other shounen titles in Japan – Shounen Sunday is almost as popular as Jump – and I’m sure they’d be very interested in teenagers who’d already managed to get a manga into serialization. I’m not sure what their contractual status is, but it seems to me that Ashirogi Muto would be free to shop their work if they haven’t signed a new deal for serialization.

They can't. The contract is annual, and until it runs out, they can't submit to another magazine. (And Jump does pay them in exchange, even if they're not serialized.)

Plus, Jump is their dream. They don't want to go elsewhere if they don't have to.

My intuition told me something was uneasy reading Miura's reaction in the first meeting right after the hiatus when his fingers twitched.

Later, the ranks for TRAP started to plummet after the 20th chapter, and everybody knew that the hiatus took its toll on the manga's popularity, adding as well the other two shounen manga debuting with similar genres as TRAP.

I know how Ashirogi Muto felt when the news were broke to them. The same as with job not knowing when you can get the axe, if your performance doesn't bring forth expected results for the company. A manga ends and with it the promise of a dream.

But, as we say in my country, there isn't a night that comes endless, and our champs are setting their fired moods towards their next ambitious manga.

Take note that Miura was so heatedly adamant when the boys picked-up ideas from their fangirls to incorporate them into TRAP. To a writer, definitely, it's the worst case route he or she wants to attempt to rise their published stories, because incorporating multiple ideas, and that those ideas are biased not keeping in tone with both the scope and tone of the story might backfire against the author.

Niizuma antics are best again. Nice to see Takahama get serialized, but not good to here him complain already. Lol Nakai got over Aoki fast.

Like the idea of having the readers choose which one is better. THough its tough going up against the new series. Niizuma was right that Future Watch was better, but still both were bad. No idea if even either one will be serialized. Miura has to go.

Niizuma antics are best again. Nice to see Takahama get serialized, but not good to here him complain already. Lol Nakai got over Aoki fast.

Like the idea of having the readers choose which one is better. THough its tough going up against the new series. Niizuma was right that Future Watch was better, but still both were bad. No idea if even either one will be serialized. Miura has to go.

Spoiler for Ep11:

Maybe shows that while they are right about their styles, they need an editor. Obviously Miura's a no good match for them, but need someone that can look at their work and give them some ideas. Niizuma and the eventual results made note that the weakness of Mashiro and Takagi are characters, particularly the protagonists. If they had someone who could help them out there then they'd be golden.

Regardless the results weren't good either way. Future Watch won and was single digits, but it wasn't an overwhelming victory either.

Shizuka's debut manga? I went back to look at the chapter, he was in that same contest being judged by Eiji at the beginning of the episode, and was the only one besides Ashirogi whose entry was any good.

I wonder if this might mean they're leaving Shizuka completely out of the show? I mean, it is understandable, since I never understood what the point of his character was anyway.

Also, now that I've seen Durarara!! I can say, the Hitman 10 character really looks like Shizuo.

Maybe shows that while they are right about their styles, they need an editor. Obviously Miura's a no good match for them, but need someone that can look at their work and give them some ideas. Niizuma and the eventual results made note that the weakness of Mashiro and Takagi are characters, particularly the protagonists. If they had someone who could help them out there then they'd be golden.

Regardless the results weren't good either way. Future Watch won and was single digits, but it wasn't an overwhelming victory either.

I don't consider what Niizuma said a "weakness", per se. What he's really saying is that Ashirogi's protagonists are too complex for the typical SJ reader. At best, they need time to build an audience. In fact, it seems as though their style is probably better suited for seinen than shounen. I think "Money & Intelligence" was basically a seinen manga anyway, and "Trap" pretty close.